Former Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross is standing down from Holyrood at the next election in the hopes of once again earning a seat at Westminster.
The Highlands and Islands MSP announced on Tuesday that he will not seek re-election to the Scottish Parliament in 2026.
“As I hope to stand for Westminster again at the next general election, I believe it is right that I don’t seek election to Holyrood in 2026,” his resignation announcement on X said.
Ross has served as a councillor, MP, and an MSP for his home area for the past 18 years. He is also the former Scottish Conservative party leader.
He resigned from the top job after his decision to stand as an MP in last summer’s general election was criticised by colleagues.
Ross wanted to simultaneously serve as an MSP and MP as well as party leader. He later said this would not be “feasible” and stepped down as party leader after four years in the role.
Ross later said he would stand down as an MSP if elected at Westminster, however he failed to be elected as an MP for Aberdeenshire North and Moray East during last summer’s general election. The seat was won by the SNP’s Seamus Logan.
“Iāve made it very clear that I hope to return to Westminster,” Ross told STV News on Tuesday.
“Given that people know that I think it would be wrong to seek election to Holyrood knowing that within that next term I would be looking to stand for Westminster again.”
Ross acknowledged that his plan to get back to Westminster is not guaranteed, but he said it’s “right” to learn from some of the issues that have been highlighted to him in the past.
“Iād like another go at standing for Westminster and therefore itād be wrong to run for Holyrood [next year],” he said.
Over the next year, Ross said he will continue to raise local issues on behalf of constituents in Parliament, maintain the approach he’s taken as the convener of the education committee and continue to steer the right to addiction recovery bill through Parliament – which he called a “game changing piece of legislation” to tackle Scotland’s drug and alcohol death rates.
“I will work flat out to support Russell Findlay and the team to return as many Scottish Conservative MSPs as possible next May,” he added.
Ross said he will not seek to get into Westminster by way of a by-election. He instead plans to wait until the next general election is called.
“The timing of the next election is in hands of Keir Starmer,” Ross said.
“That could be two or three years after I stand down from Holyrood, but it will definitely be within next session of Scottish Parliament. That’s why I think it would be wrong to stand for election there knowing Iād have an interest to stand for Westminster.”
Ross has been an MSP for the Highlands and Islands region since 2016.
He is the latest high-profile Scottish political figure to announce their departure from Holyrood ahead of the 2026 elections.
Former first ministers Nicola Sturgeon and Humza Yousaf, as well as ex-Scottish Labour leader Richard Leonard, are among 25 others who will not seek re-election.
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